From Mahatma Gandhi's era to now, one thing that hasn't lost sheen is yatras to mobilise people. Pada yatra (walkathon) or rath (chariot) yatra, politicians have gone that extra mile to script political glory. While the Mahatma's Dandi March was
Even AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi couldn't resist the popularity of yatra. In 2011, keeping up the attack on the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) government in Uttar Pradesh, Rahul took out Jan Sampark yatra. Also, UP is a significant
More than the yatras, what's interesting is their names. In poll-bound Rajasthan, BJP lead by its president Vasundhara Raje launched the 'Suraaj Sankalp Yatra' in August after the ruling party concluded the 'Sandesh Yatra.'
In Feb 2006 Andhra Pradesh Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah formally launched the Sri Ram Sagar Project flood flow 'canal yatra' to inspect the works of the project, which was started after a 10-year delay.
Another yatra against the bifurcation was taken up by TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu. During the 11-day Telugu Jaati Atma Gaurava Yatra in September, Naidu visited Guntur and Krishna district.
By the time Sharmila completed her padayata, Andhra Pradesh was on the boil over the Centre's decision to carve out new state Telangana by bifurcating Andhra Pradesh. So, soon after her padayatra, Sharmila took off Samaikya Shankaravam Bus Yatra on
Yatras have always been an essential part of YSR Cong. After the arrest of Jagan in an embezzlement case in 2011, his sister Y S Sharmila set a record with her padayatra, Maro Praja Prasthanam. Starting in Oct 2012 from Srikakulam, she travelled 12
Jagan was directed by the party's central leadership to call off the yatra, but he went ahead with the yatra, stating it was a personal matter. In the ensuing by-election from Kadapa constituency, Jagan as a president of YSR Congress won by a huge
Following in the footsteps of Y S Rajashekhara Reddy was his son and former Congress leader Jagan Mohan Reddy. The present YSR Congress chief Jagan's fallout with Congress has its roots in the Odarpu yatra (condolence), which he took out six months
In 2003, the late Congress leader Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy's (YSR) Prajaprasthanam Padayatra aimed at highlighting the plight of people in draught-hit areas in Andhra Pradesh, catapulted him as a powerful leader, eventually getting him the chief
A major poll plank, the yatra was aimed at creating awareness about Ayodhya movement. Though Advani wanted it to be a padayatra, it was later changed as walking was considered to slow down the pace. Hence a mini-bus was redesigned as a rath. Advani
When it comes to rath yatras, none can disassociate BJP leader L K Advani from it, that is Ayodhya rath yatra. He took out the most memorable modern-day yatra, the BJP's first, from Somnath to Ayodhya, a distance of 10,000 km, in 1990.
He covered over 100 km a day and for months. While his son Nandamuri Harikrishna, also a film actor, took the driver's seat, NTR untiringly waved to crowds and covered over 75,000 km in all. In the 1983 elections, the TDP bagged 199 out of the 294
After floating Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 1982, NTR hit streets for next year's elections with the tagline 'Telugu Vari Atma Gauravam (restoring Telugu people's self-respect). He converted his vintage Chevrolet car into Chaitanya Ratham (chariot),
It was actor-politician the late N. T. Rama Rao (NTR), who actually brought the celluloid style to politics. He not only pioneered the culture of rath (chariot), but changed the way election campaigns were held. Taking out a road show in '80s was
Padayatra or rath yatra, success mantra for politicians